A brawl erupted in Mexico’s Senate when the chamber’s president and the leader of the opposition exchanged shoves and a punch during a public session. Video footage captured the confrontation, which unfolded as senators sang Mexico’s national anthem at the presiding area. Following the anthem, Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), attempted to gain the attention of Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña of the ruling Morena party. When a woman tried to guide Noroña away, Moreno grabbed his arm, prompting Noroña to push back. Moreno then repeatedly shoved him and threw a punch. A staffer intervening was also pushed, falling to the ground. As Noroña moved to leave, another legislator seized him by the collar and attempted to strike him. The clash concluded with Noroña exiting the chamber after further shoving and verbal exchanges.

The incident followedPRI members’ repeated requests for the floor during the session, which were denied by Noroña in his role as presiding officer. Moreno, who has led the PRI since 2019, faces challenges as the party, once dominant in Mexican politics, now holds limited influence in Congress. Noroña, a leftist politician and Morena member, assumed Senate presidency after the party’s expanded majority in the 2024 elections and Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential victory.